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EDITORIAL: Disaster funding should have been unanimous

News Herald (Panama City, FL)

Sept. 16--Although inevitable, it was still welcome and reassuring that the Federal Emergency Management Agency this week declared several Florida counties eligible for disaster relief funding. The designation allows residents to apply for grants that can pay for home repairs, temporary shelter and other needs in the crushing wake of Hurricane Irma.

We applaud FEMA for responding so rapidly. One gratifying aspect of witnessing two devastating hurricanes hitting the U.S. back to back has been the lack of widespread complaints about FEMA's performance. The agency, much maligned during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, seems to have learned valuable lessons during the lengthy lull between these massive Gulf storms.

So should some other members of Congress, and the rest of us.

Last week Congress passed a $15 billion relief package for hurricane victims in Texas, which could be used for Florida relief as well. Lawmakers did so as forecasters warned us about the pending calamity of Irma.

But 107 Republicans -- 17 senators and 90 House members -- opposed the measure. The opposition included two Florida lawmakers, Reps. Ted Yoho of Gainesville and Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach.

We understand why they did so. President Donald Trump and Democrats came together on a deal that packaged the Harvey relief with raising the ceiling on the national debt and funding the government through the end of the fiscal year.

We share their ire somewhat. Unlike some conservative lawmakers, we're not bothered that Trump turned to Democrats to get something done. Yet we agree with them that the budget is out of control, and it's distressing we keep heaping more debt atop the $20 trillion already amassed.

The wise play in this situation, perhaps, would have been a stand-alone bill on Harvey funding and to yank that from foreign aid, pressing upon the recipients of that particular piece of welfare that the federal government's duty is to care for Americans first.

Time, however, was of the essence, and the other budget-related steps were necessary. The bill should have passed unanimously.

Republicans critical of this maneuvering have only themselves to blame. They control Congress, and hence control the budget process, including managing the debt and cutting the fat. Our nation must again fund its government without a duly deliberated and completed budget, while going deeper in debt, and that's shameful.

The good news is that our GOP delegate, Rep. Neal Dunn, did not embarrass himself by voting no on Harvey aid. And we trust they won't when the Irma measure comes forth.

Hurricanes hit the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Earthquakes rattle the West. Blizzards blanket the Midwest and Northeast. Tornadoes and floods rip and ruin the South and Midwest. In short, all Americans face some kind of threat from an unexpected natural disaster.

What also should be natural when crisis strikes is that our leaders -- and we ourselves -- set aside political differences and agree our fellow citizens are hurting and need help, even if it means an uptick in the debt. If we can't come together on that, we ask: What can unite the United States?